http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/ en-us Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:13:00 PST Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 PST support2007@baseballtoaster.com 60 http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168801.html In November of '02, I started Bronx Banter on Blogspot. The next year I took it to All-Baseball.com, and for the past four seasons, I've been with the crew at Baseball Toaster. Its been a great run and a true honor to blog alongside the talent here. Now, Bronx Banter is moving again, this time to the SNY network of blogs. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168801.html Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:13:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168624.html After three games, the aggregate score of the World Series is dead even at 10-10, but if the Rays don't win tonight, this thing could be over, as Cole Hamels would pitch for the title tomorrow. Given that this has the potential to be the most exciting World Series since 2001, it would be a shame for it not to go at least six, and preferably seven games, but the last World Series to start off like this also ended in five games as the Yankees beat the Mets in the 2000 fall classic. I explain in my preview of Game 4, which is up over at SI.com. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168624.html Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:09:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1151508.html Threegames in, and this has been a fun, competitive World Serious.The Rays were down 4-1,came back to tie the game, but the Phils pulled it out with a cheap hit in the bottom of the ninth. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1151508.html Sun, 26 Oct 2008 07:08:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168187.html All of the baseball cards that I use to illustrate my posts are from my personal collection, which includes every regular-issue Topps set dating back to 1979. The first complete set I ever owned was the 1987 set. It remains one of may favorites both because of its nostalgic significance to me, and because of its appealing design and fine photography. With the recent quasi-retirements of Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds (the latter of whom was pictured on the first card in the first pack of 1987 Topps cards I ever bought, his .223 average prompting me to think he was some skinny slap-hitting nothing), the last remaining active player who had a card in the 1987 set is Jamie Moyer (Moyer's then-teammate Greg Maddux is the only other active player from the 1986 season, but his first Topps card was a 1987 traded card). I had written Moyer off as a scrub in the early '90s. He was released by the Rangers after the 1990 season and spent most of the 1991 and all of the '92 seasons in the minors, and I figured he was just another anonymous face on a baseball card that I'd never see again. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168187.html Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:01:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168129.html http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1168129.html Sat, 25 Oct 2008 07:37:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167717.html By Steven Goldman http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167717.html Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:22:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167769.html Over at the Voice, Neil DeMause is live-blogging the Kucinich Hearings. It ain't pretty, but Neil is doing a crack job. Here is part one and part two (still in progress...). http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167769.html Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:55:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167755.html JR Moehringer won a Pulitzer in 1999 for this article. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167755.html Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:29:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1151490.html I haven't been drawn to Charlie Kaufman's movies (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), at least the ones he's written. So I can't say that I'm falling over myself to see his directorial debut, Synecdoche, New York. However, I do admire the Times' film critic, Manohla Dargis, and she gave the movie nothing short of a rave this morning. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1151490.html Fri, 24 Oct 2008 07:08:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167700.html Yeah, it took some moxie on the part of Joe Maddon to stick with David Price, who wound up getting thefinal seven outs for the Rays last night (he also got a key break with a non-call in the ninth). And onions to Price for bending but not breaking. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167700.html Fri, 24 Oct 2008 06:27:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167302.html The Phillies were supposed to win Game 1 last night behind Cole Hamels, and they did. The Rays are supposed to win Game 2 tonight behind James Shields to salvage a split at home. Result pending. My preview is up on SI.com. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167302.html Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:22:24 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167090.html By Chris DeRosa http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167090.html Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:19:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167070.html Did you ever suck the jelly out of a jelly donut and then fill it with chocolate-swirl ice cream? http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1167070.html Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:04:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1151511.html Cole Hamels, Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge made like Stravinsky last night andcomposed a big win for the Phillies. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1151511.html Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:08:00 PST http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1166627.html It's strangely fitting that the Phillies and Rays are meeting in the latter's first World Series. When then-Devil Rays general manager Chuck LaMar was assembling what would be the inaugural Rays roster in late 1997, he decided to build his team around pitching and defense. Any good defensive team needs a strong defensive shortstop, so LaMar worked out a deal with the Phillies to draft a young outfielder out of the Astros' system in that November's expansion draft and flip him to Philadelphia for the Phillies good-field/no-hit shortstop Kevin Stocker. http://bronxbanter.baseballtoaster.com/archives/1166627.html Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:04:00 PST